AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Pond

Artist:Pond
Song:Zond
Album:Man It Feels Like Space Again





The Aussie band Pond is a spinoff of Tame Impala. Pond should be of interest to Tame Impala fans because the music is similar. They are from Perth, Australia. Jeff Parker records all of Tame Impala's music in his home studio. He plays all the instruments. His record label asked him to form a band for touring. Nick Allbrook and Jay "Gumby" Watson were in the Tame Impala touring band. Allbrook and Shiny Joe Ryan were with Parker in the band Mink Mussel Creek. When that band split up, Parker started Tame Impala. Allbrook and Watson had no input to Tame Impala's music. So they started Pond with Ryan so they could make their own music. It was only supposed to be a side project. But they had success when they released the 2012 album Beard, Wives, Denim on Modular and they played music festivals in the US. Allbrook left Tame Impala in 2013 to concentrate on Pond. Watson is still in Tame Impala's touring band. The 2015 album Man It Feels Like Space Again was released on the British label Caroline. It was their most successful album to date. They released The Weather in 2017. Pond will be of interest to fans of neo psychedelia. They still work with Parker. He produces their albums. Allbrook and Watson have released solo albums. Pond still seems more like a side project than a full time band. Allbrook seems happy with that. Pond goes on tour in November. Here's the video for Zond by Pond.

KING Reina vs warm body added to Oct. 15 RIZIN show

Today RIZIN held a press conference to announce an opponent for KING Reina Oct. 15 at Marine Messe Fukuoka. The fight will be at 75kg and the opponent will be Crystal Stokes. This is another example of how lack of regulation can hurt a fighter's career. The bottom line is this. RIZIN has exactly zero credible opponents for Reina. But because there is no regulation in Japan, there is no one to slap RIZIN on the wrist and tell them not to do things. A proper athletic commission would never approve Crystal Stokes to fight Reina. Crystal is 38 years old from California. She trains at Team Cyborg. The big problem is this fight is Crystal's MMA debut. And that's why an AC would never allow this fight. Reina is too experienced for her. Crystal is mainly a professional bodybuilder. She has also played football and she was a Marine stationed in Iraq. Training in MMA doesn't make her a fighter. She's a warm body and her purpose is to keep KING Reina from leaving Japan because Reina is a legit draw for RIZIN. Reina didn't seem too thrilled about her opponent but she doesn't think she'll have any trouble with her either. RIZIN also announced that Shinju Auclair will not appear on the Oct. 15 show. She is on the poster. She recently moved from Detroit to San Francisco and she wants to get settled and then get back into fighting. I guess we'll see her New Year's Eve.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Maynard Ferguson

Artist:Maynard Ferguson
Song:Gonna Fly Now
Album:The Essential Maynard Ferguson





Jazz trumpeter Maynard Ferguson was famous for hitting those high notes. He had been doing that since he was in Stan Kenton's band in the 50s. So it was a big surprise when Ferguson scored the only hit single of his career with Gonna Fly Now in 1976. That's right. It's the theme from Rocky. The original was a number one hit. Ferguson's version was a top 30 hit but I think it may be more memorable than the original. Obviously folks confuse the two versions. Ferguson was born May 4, 1928 in the Montreal suburb of Verdun, QC. His parents were musicians and Ferguson was a child prodigy violinist. He picked up the trumpet at age 9 and as a teen he appeared frequently on CBC Radio. After studying at the Montreal Conservatory of Music, Ferguson played local clubs until he moved to Los Angeles in 1948 to join Stan Kenton's band. And that's where Ferguson became famous. He won the Down Beat Magazine Readers Poll as Best Trumpeter for three straight years. In 1953 he left the Kenton band for Paramount Pictures. He also recorded as a leader for Mercury's jazz label EmArcy. So you hear Ferguson in movies like The Ten Commandments. But while working for Paramount, he wasn't allowed to play live gigs in clubs. He left Paramount in 1956 and he signed with Roulette Records to lead the Birdland Dream Band. They toured and recorded successfully until 1966. Ferguson was already involved with Eastern culture and spiritual awakening through his friend Timothy Leary. Ferguson and his wife moved to India in 1967 and then to England in 1969. That's when he got back into recording with Columbia Records. At first he recorded with a British band and he led the house band on LWT's The Simon Dee Show. Then he moved back to New York in 1971 and formed a new band with mostly young musicians. His albums were doing OK but producer Bob James wanted more commercial music. So for the 1976 album Primal Scream, James brought in guest musicians like Chick Corea, Steve Gadd and Eric Gale. Ferguson liked the record but he wanted to use his own band on the next album Conquistador. He got what he wanted except for the recording of Gonna Fly Now. Jay Chattaway arranged and conducted. Guest musicians included Bob James, Harvey Mason, Ralph McDonald, Randy Brecker, Marvin Stamm, Jon Faddis and Joe Farrell. Bobby Militello from Ferguson's band played the flute solo. Gonna Fly Now reached #28 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was the only hit single of Ferguson's career. Ferguson left Columbia in 1982. Except for a couple of late 90s albums for Concord, Ferguson and his band Big Bop Nouveau recorded for small labels and toured a lot. He died on Aug. 23, 2006 at age 78. This 2CD comp is a good overview of Ferguson's entire career. Here's Maynard Ferguson performing Gonna Fly Now on The Mike Douglas Show 1977.

Alexis Davis vs Liz Carmouche added to Dec. 9 UFC show

This afternoon the UFC announced several matches for UFC Fight Night 123 Dec. 9 at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, CA. One of those matches will have Alexis Davis vs Liz Carmouche at Flyweight. Both were one time Bantamweight title contenders. We're seeing a lot of weight class switching. In many cases, it's a shortcut. Like Lauren Murphy on TUF 26 dropped to Flyweight. She's still a terrible fighter at any weight class. These two have fought before. Alexis won by unanimous decision on Nov. 6, 2013. Since then she took time off to have a baby. She's had two fights since her return. She lost to Sara McMann by submission. And then she beat Cindy Dandois in a fight that was so bad that Cindy was released. Alexis fought at Flyweight when she started out in Canada ten years ago. She hasn't fought at 125 in a long time. She was a decent fighter a few years ago. This fight could answer if she can still fight or she doesn't have it anymore. Liz has never fought at 125 before. I don't know if dropping a weight class will help her. I don't think she's that good anyway. For me, she's a mid card fighter at best. She only got title shots due to timing and circumstances. In her last fight, she beat Katlyn Chookagian by split decision. Liz should have had an easier time because Katlyn is a Flyweight. I don't think Liz has performed very well in a while. These two have been around and fans may remember the names. But when was the last time either had a decent fight. Obviously I have low expectations for this fight.

Andrea Lee vs Kalindra Faria added to Oct. 6 UFC show

Andrea Lee, Kalindra Faria

Last week the UFC announced that Paige VanZant vs Jessica Eye was off of UFC 216 because Paige suffered a back injury. She's had trouble with her back before. They are trying to reschedule this fight possibly for the end of the year. Last night, Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting reported that another Flyweight match will replace that fight. Andrea Lee will face Kalindra Faria on UFC 216 Oct. 6 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Andrea is currently the LFA champ. She defended that title last week. A lot of fans were upset that she wasn't on TUF 26. But I understand she was having health problems at the time. She's probably one of the most popular fighters around because of her looks. Her record is 8-2. I've seen her in Invicta and LFA. She's a decent fighter but the competition level especially in LFA is low. So we'll see how she does in the UFC. That being said, I don't believe Kalindra is a UFC caliber fighter. She's 31 years old from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Her record is 18-5-1. She has spent most of her career on the Brazilian regional circuit. She seems to run into problems when she fights a higher level of competition. I saw her WSOF fight a couple of years ago against Jessica Aguilar. And Kalindra did nothing for five rounds. Jessica won by unanimous decision. She also lost to Karolina Kowalkiewicz in KSW. Her most recent fight was a win over Carina Damm for a Titan FC title a couple of weeks ago. Carina was an elite fighter...ten years ago. At this point, she's just a name that fans might know. But she hasn't been a good fighter for a while. So does that mean if Carina had won that fight she would have got to the UFC? Geez, I hope not. A win over her doesn't answer questions about Kalindra. But it's a short notice fight and you take who you can get. I expect this fight to air on the main card mostly because of Andrea.

Cynthia Calvillo vs Carla Esparza added to Dec. 30 UFC show

On last night's episode of UFC Tonight, it was announced that Cynthia Calvillo vs Carla Esparza has been added to UFC 219 Dec. 30 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. I expect this match to be on the main card. This match could give us the next contender for Joanna Jedrzejczyk's UFC Strawweight Championship. I guess the short version is Cynthia is on the way up and Carla looks to be on the way down. If Cynthia wins, she gets into the title picture. Right now she is ranked #8. Cynthia is 30 years old. She trains at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento. Her record is 6-0 and she is 3-0 in the UFC. Cynthia is known for her ground game. But in her last fight, she won over Joanne Calderwood using a keep away strategy. Fans were annoyed with her but it was good strategy because why would you want to clinch with Joanne Calderwood. If Joanne had made successful adjustments, Cynthia could have tried other things. It wasn't an exciting fight. But there was a lot of pressure on Joanne in her home town. And I don't think she expected that strategy from Cynthia. It showed me that Cynthia is versatile and can execute a game plan given to her by coach Justin Buchholtz. Carla is also from California. She's 29 years old and her record is 12-4. Right now she's ranked #7. I don't think Carla has looked very good since returning from shoulder surgery. In her last fight, she won a squeaker over Maryna Moroz. Neither of them were very good. I don't think it helped her. Cynthia is a much tougher opponent. There's a lot at stake for both. With a win, Cynthia can move up to the title picture. So could Carla but a loss could put her on a one way trip to Palookaville. So I think this is a significant fight in the Strawweight division.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Focus

Artist:Focus
Song:Hocus Pocus
Album:The Best Of Focus: Hocus Pocus





Hocus Pocus was a top ten hit in 1973. So I assume it still get played on oldies radio. And folks must hear this song and go "What the hell is that?" It was a fluke hit single from the Dutch progressive rock group Focus. They were formed in 1969 by keyboardist, singer and flautist Thijs van Leer. He wrote most of the songs. The band came out of a theater group in Amsterdam. Guitarist Jan Akkerman joined and he came up with the name Focus. Focus' first job was the pit band in a local production of Hair. They were supposed to go on European tour with the show but they decided to become a full time band instead. The rest of the band was Martin Dresden on bass and Hans Cleuver on drums. Focus recorded the album Focus Plays Focus and Imperial Records released it in Europe. Then Sire Records owner Seymour Stein saw them live and he signed them to a US deal. Akkerman was unhappy with the rhythm section and he threatened to leave if they weren't replaced. And he was going to leave but a new manager kept the band together. Dresden and Cleuver were out. Drummer Martin van der Linden and bassist Bert Ruiter were in. van der Linden and Akkerman were previously in a band together. Mike Vernon was brought in to produce their next album. Like Stein, he liked Focus live but didn't like their first album. That album was Focus II in Europe but it was called Moving Waves in the US. Hocus Pocus was first released as a single in 1971. But it wasn't until they recorded a second much faster version that it reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. I guess van Leer's yodeling is part of why fans liked the song. It's certainly different. van Leer and Akkerman wrote the song. But since Akkerman left Focus in 1976, Akkerman claims he wrote it alone. After leaving Focus, Akkerman has recorded jazz fusion guitar. This comp is a good intro to Focus' music. van Leer disbanded Focus in 1978 and they reunited a few times. van Leer and van der Linden reformed Focus in 2001 and they still tour and record today. Here's Focus performing Hocus Pocus on The Midnight Special 1973.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Rob Wasserman

Artist:Rob Wasserman f/Aaron Neville
Song:Stardust
Album:Rain Man: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack




Bassist Rob Wasserman was a sideman who was nominated for a couple of Grammys for the 1988 album Duets. You may have heard this recording of Stardust featuring Aaron Neville in the popular 1988 film Rain Man. Wasserman was born Apr. 1, 1952 in San Mateo, CA. He started out playing violin and he switched to bass while studying at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He joined David Grisman's band in 1980 and while he was in that band for most of the 80s, he also worked as a sideman for Van Morrison and Oingo Boingo among others. Wasserman's debut album Solo was released by Rounder in 1983. Then he signed with MCA for the 1988 album Duets. The album was highly acclaimed and nominated for a couple of Grammys. The recording of Stardust with Aaron Neville appeared in the film Rain Man. The soundtrack of Rain Man is available as a budget CD. Duets is available on CD but it's expensive. And Stardust doesn't appear on an Aaron Neville CD. Others who appear on Duets include Rickie Lee Jones, Bobby McFerrin, Lou Reed, Jennifer Warnes, Dan Hicks, Cheryl Bentyne of The Manhattan Transfer and Stephane Grappelli. Wasserman left Grisman's band and he was in Lou Reed's band in the 90s. He released the album Trios in 1993 also featuring many guest artists. He also released an album with Bob Weir of The Grateful Dead in 1997. He also toured with Weir. Wasserman continued to work as a sideman until his death on June 29, 2016 at age 64. Here's Rob Wasserman featuring Aaron Neville performing Stardust on the TV show Night Music 1988.

Lina Lansberg vs Aspen Ladd added to Oct. 21 UFC show

The Krakow Chronicle reported last night that Lina Lansberg vs Aspen Ladd has been added to UFC Fight Night 118 Oct. 21 at the Ergo Arena in Gdansk, Poland. This show will air on Fox Sports 1 in the US and TSN in Canada. I expect this fight to air on the UFC Fight Pass prelims. Lina is 35 years old from Malmo, Sweden. Her record is 7-2. In Europe she is known as a kickboxer. That's why her nickname is Elbow Princess. The way she got into the UFC is she was willing to take a beating from Cris Cyborg. Then she won over late replacement Lucie Pudilova in March. I was not impressed with either fighter. Lina was supposed to fight Leslie Smith in July but she dropped out due to injury. I don't think Lina belongs in the UFC. Aspen was supposed to make her UFC debut in July vs Jessica Eye but Aspen got sick during fight week. She's 5-0 and I was very impressed with her Invicta fights. She trains at MMA Gold in El Dorado Hills, CA which is becoming a really good gym for female fighters. Invicta's Yaya Rincon also trains there. Aspen should be the favourite.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Zara Larsson

Artist:Zara Larsson f/MNEK
Song:Never Forget You
Album:So Good





19 year old pop singer Zara Larsson is already a star in her native Sweden and other European countries. And now she is starting to make inroads in the US. Never Forget you is her biggest hit to date. She was born Dec. 16, 1997 in the Stockholm suburb of Solna, Sweden. She was 10 years old when she won the 2008 season of Talang which is basically Sweden's Got Talent. She sang My Heart Will Go On on the finale and that was released as a single. She signed with TEN Music Group in 2012. She released a couple of EPs and Uncover was her first #1 hit in Sweden. Her debut album 1 was released in 2014 and a couple of songs were hits in Sweden. Zara signs with Epic Records and she records her second album So Good. Epic released a couple of singles and the album was finally released Mar. 2017. It was very successful in Europe and Never Forget You reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100. She works with several producers on the album. But she seems to like working with Uzoechi "MNEK" Eminike. He wrote and produced Never Forget You with Aaron "Astronomyy" Davey. MNEK has released an album. But he's starting to be an in demand producer. And that's probably where his future is. So Zara has gotten to this point and her next album should tell us if she will be a star. Here's the video for Never Forget You by Zara Larsson featuring MNEK.

Two women's fights added to Nov. 25 UFC show

Kailin Curran, Yan Xiaonan

The UFC will make their Shanghai debut Nov. 25 at the Mercedes Benz Arena. The UFC was making a promotional tour over the weekend and they announced a couple of women's matches featuring Chinese newcomers. In a Strawweight bout, Yan Xiaonan will face Kailin Curran. And in a Bantamweight bout, Yanan Wu will face Gina Mazany. The entire show will air on UFC Fight Pass.  Yan is 28 years old from Liaoning, China. Her record is 7-1-1NC. For the last couple of years, she has fought for the Korean company Road FC on their Chinese shows. So the competition level is lower that Road's Korean shows. In her last fight in Nov., Yan faced Japanese veteran Emi Fujino and the fight was stopped and ruled a no contest after an accidental clash of heads. And Road FC women's matches in China are scheduled for two rounds. They need to give them three rounds. Two round women's fights are sexist. Kailin is 26 years old from Hawaii. Her record is 4-5 and she's 1-4 in the UFC. I don't believe she belongs in the UFC. I've said that since 2014 and she's still there. Her biggest problem is she loses concentration during fights and that has cost her. It's also not something that can be easily fixed. Yanan is 21 years old. Her record is 8-1. She's tall at 5'9". She has fought mostly on the Chinese regional circuit for Kunlun and WLF. Her one loss was to Yana Kunitskaya on a show in Russia. Both Chinese fighters like to punch. I don't expect much of a ground game from either. Gina is 29 years old originally from Alaska but she now trains at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas. She is managed by Miesha Tate who recently started a management company. Her record is 4-1 and she lost her UFC debut to Sara McMann last year. It was over in a minute. She also lost in the TUF 18 qualifiers. Gina is also a pro wrestler who frequently works with her brother who is an EFC champ in MMA. It's typical of the UFC to use these type of fighters to fight local newcomers in places like Shanghai. I haven't seen the Chinese fighters but we'll see if they are any good.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-OneRepublic

Artist:OneRepublic f/Timbaland
Song:Apologize (Remix)
Album:Dreaming Out Loud





There is always going to be a market for R&B influenced soft rock like OneRepublic. Apologize was their 2007 debut single and their biggest hit to date. The leader of OneRepublic is lead singer and songwriter Ryan Tedder. He formed a band with Zach Filkins while attending high school in Colorado Springs, CO. They played local clubs as This Beautiful Mess. After winning an MTV songwriting contest, Tedder moved to Los Angeles and signed a development deal with producer Tim "Timbaland" Mosely. While writing and producing for other artists, Tedder got Filkins to join him and form a new band. They were called Republic and they signed with Columbia. They were told to change the name as it was too similar to existing bands. It was changed to OneRepublic. They recorded an album but Columbia dropped them and it wasn't released. OneRepublic turned to MySpace to keep their music out there. This led to Mosely signing them to his label. Dreaming Out Loud was released Nov. 2007. Reviews were lukewarm at best. There are two versions of Apologize. The first version was on Dreaming Out Loud. But Mosely remixed it for his own album Shock Value. That's the version that reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Mosely rearranged the song to give it a more R&B feel. Both versions are on the Dreaming Out Loud CD. OneRepublic's other big hit was the top five hit Counting Stars in 2013. They haven't been as successful recently. Tedder has been suffering from anxiety attacks but he has recovered sufficiently to start working on a new OneRepublic album for 2018 release. Tedder also continues a very successful career writing and producing for others including U2, Leona Lewis, Maroon 5 and many others. He could disband OneRepublic and just do that stuff. But he's not ready to do that yet. Here's the video for Apologize by OneRepublic featuring Timbaland.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Sonic Youth

Artist:Sonic Youth
Song:Teenage Riot
Album:Hits Are For Squares





I guess the best way to describe Sonic Youth is when they started out in the 80s, New Wave music had usurped 70s Punk music. Sonic Youth became popular as a 70s punk throwback. Teenage Riot was one of their most popular songs though they never had a hit single. Sonic Youth began when guitarist Thurston Moore moved to New York from his home in Bethel, CT in 1977. He had a band The Coachmen. After they split up, he jammed with CKM and that's where he met singer and bassist Kim Gordon. They formed Sonic Youth named after MC5's Fred "Sonic" Smith and reggae artist Big Youth. They married in 1984. The other key member of the band was guitarist Lee Ranaldo. They went through several drummers before Steve Shelley became Sonic Youth's permanent drummer in 1985. The band struggled in the early 80s because Punk wasn't popular anymore. So Sonic Youth released a couple of albums and toured. They signed with SST Records in 1986. They were getting more successful but SST's limited distribution forced Sonic Youth to sign with EMI's Enigma label for the 1988 album Daydream Nation. The album and songs like Teenage Riot launched Sonic Youth to success for the next decade including after they signed with Geffen Records in 1990. This budget comp is a good intro to their music. Sonic Youth recorded for Geffen until 2006. They were a very successful touring band for many years. They disbanded in 2011 after Moore and Gordon separated after 27 years of marriage. Kim Gordon published her autobiography in 2015 and she released a single last year. Moore formed Chelsea Light Moving and they released a 2013 CD. Ranaldo says the Sonic Youth split is for good. He's recorded solo for years and he continues to do that. Here's the video for Teenage Riot by Sonic Youth.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Syuri Kondo vs Chinmi Jeon

Here's the match video of Syuri Kondo vs Chinmi Jeon from last night's UFC show in Japan. Syuri has been a pro wrestler for ten years. She was also a kickboxing champ in Krush. In 2016, she got into MMA for PANCRASE. After going 5-0 and winning the Queen of PANCRASE Championship, she signed with the UFC. Syuri is a very polished and disciplined fighter. She is mainly a striker but is also good in the clinch. She trains at the Tokyo branch of the Dutch gym Vos. Chinmi was brought in as a late replacement in June. At 20 years old, she's the youngest fighter on the UFC roster. Her inexperience showed in her loss to JJ Aldrich. She seemed befuddled at times. Would she improve with a full camp? The story of this fight was Syuri pressed forward and kept the pressure on. And instead of fighting back, Chinmi kept backing up. She can't win fights that way. Syuri chased her for most of the fight. So I scored the fight 30-27 for Syuri. One of the judges scored it 29-28 for Chinmi. I don't know what he was watching but Syuri won by split decision. I'd like to see Syuri against a ranked fighter. It will give a better idea of how good she is. I understand Syuri will still do pro wrestling. She did that while working for PANCRASE and it's in her UFC contract. She told Tokyo Sports that she wants to wrestle Asuka in the WWE. They've been good friends for several years. Syuri taught Asuka dance moves as Syuri was a dancer before she got into pro wrestling. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Jessica Andrade vs Claudia Gadelha

Here's the match video of Jessica Andrade vs Claudia Gadelha from last night's UFC show in Japan. Claudia looked really good in her last fight. It looked like the move to New Mexico to train with Chris Luttrell had paid off. With one more win, Claudia figured to be ready for another title shot. She Tweeted Jessica to get this fight booked. Jessica was coming off of a failed title shot. But you had to admire her toughness for lasting five rounds. Jessica went to Japan a couple of weeks early to train at AACC with Ayaka Hamasaki and RENA. In round one, Claudia won the striking exchanges but Jessica turned it around and by the end of the round, she was pounding Claudia from the top mount. I scored the round 10-9 for Claudia. But her gas tank was already empty. That was very surprising. Endurance was the one thing Claudia needed to improve and she folded like a cheap suitcase after one round. Though she wasn't able to get a finish, Jessica dominated the other two rounds mostly with ground and pound. I scored round two 10-9 and round three 10-8 for Jessica. And she won by unanimous decision. Is Jessica getting the next title shot? She doesn't think so. She wants a fight with Karolina Kowalkiewicz. Another name to add to that mix is Cynthia Calvillo. Claudia said she is going home to spend time with her family. I said last night she has to go back to the drawing board. She said the same thing. Her endurance is a big problem now. It's also possible she might want to move up to Flyweight. She fought at 125lb before she came to the US. At the time there was more opportunity at 115. She has some big decisions to make. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-OutKast

Artist:OutKast
Song:Hey Ya
Album:Speakerboxxx/The Love Below





The 2003 single Hey Ya was the biggest hit for the rap duo OutKast. They had a long run before that but by 2003 they were drifting apart and the end would come after one more album. OutKast are influential in the Dirty South style of hip hop. Andre "Andre 3000" Benjamin and Antwan "Big Boi" Patton went to high school together in Atlanta. They started doing local shows and that got the attention of the production group Organized Noize. Rico Wade, Ray Murray and Patrick "Sleepy" Brown worked with TLC and Ludicris and I think it's fair to say that Organized Noize was instrumental in the 90s rise of southern rap. Benjamin and Patton called themselves OutKast. They thought they were misfits. OutKast signed with LaFace Records and released the 1994 CD Southernplayalisticadillacmusik. They topped the rap charts with Player's Ball and the CD was certified Platinum. Their first three albums did well but they weren't able to cross over and score a pop hit single. That all changed with the 2000 CD Stankonia. The second single Ms. Jackson topped the Billboard Hot 100 and Stankonia was certified 4XPlatinum. The only problem was Benjamin was getting restless. He moved to Los Angeles to get into acting. He appeared in a couple of things but it wasn't enough and he recorded The Love Below at his home studio. Meanwhile, Patton recorded Speakerboxx in Atlanta. It was decided to release them together as a 2CD OutKast album. Hey Ya was written and performed by Benjamin. The Way You Move was written and performed by Patton. Both songs topped the Billboard Hot 100 and the album was certified Diamond. So it was OutKast's most successful album to date. But they knew they couldn't continue to work like this. They decided to produce the film Idlewild which was released in 2006. It didn't do well. Even the soundtrack didn't do well. OutKast split up. Patton recorded a solo album for DefJam. But they kept delaying the release until it finally escaped in 2010. Patton has recorded four albums with little success. He just released a new CD on Epic. Patton has had success as a producer especially with Janelle Monae. Benjamin returned to acting. His most notable role was as Jimi Hendrix in the 2013 biopic Jimi: All Is By My Side. He returned to music in 2007 mostly doing guest shots on other folks albums. It doesn't look like he is interested in recording his own music anymore. There have certainly been plenty of rumours. OutKast reunited for a few 2014 music festivals. But there are no plans to record new music. Here's the video for Hey Ya by OutKast.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Brad Mehldau Trio

Artist:Brad Mehldau Trio
Song:Holland
Album:Where Do You Start





Brad Mehldau is one of today's most popular jazz pianists. He has led his trio since 1995 and he also records side projects and experiments with different types of music. But he always goes back to the trio. He was born Aug. 23, 1970 in Jacksonville, FL. His family moved to West Hartford, CT when he was age ten. He took piano lessons as a child but he got serious about it as a teen listening to Oscar Peterson. Mehldau moved to New York in 1988 to study at The New School. One of his teachers was legendary drummer Jimmy Cobb. Mehldau played local clubs in Cobb's band and he recorded and toured with sax player Christopher Holyday. He led a quartet with sax player Perico Sambeat and Mario (bass) and Jorge (drums) Rossy. They recorded a couple of albums. Mehldau's profile was raised when he toured with sax player Joshua Redman. Mehldau was featured on Redman's 1994 album Moodswing and Redman's score for the film Vanya on 42nd Street. Then he signed with Redman's label Warner Bros. Records. Mehldau still records for Warner Music. They moved all jazz artists to Nonesuch. His debut as a leader was Introducing Brad Mehldau in 1995 with bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jorge Rossy. Mehldau was critically acclaimed but some critics compared him unfavorably to Bill Evans. His big problem at the time was heroin addiction. Mehldau moved to Los Angeles in 1996 to kick the habit. He continued to record with his trio and Mehldau became a regular on the jazz festival circuit. He also recorded with Chris Potter, Lee Konitz, Willie Nelson and he was featured on the soundtrack of the film Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. In 2005, Rossy was replaced by Jeff Ballard. And that is Mehldau's trio today. Holland is from the 2011 CD Where Do You Start. Mehldau recorded two albums at the same time. The CD Ode was all original songs. Where Do You Start is all covers. Holland was written by singer songwriter Sufjan Stevens. Mehldau has experimented with electronics in the duo Mehliana with drummer Mark Giuliana. They recorded and toured and John Scofield joined them on tour. Mehldau's latest CD was with mandolinist Chris Thile. It was released Jan. 2017 and they toured to support it. Currently Mehldau is touring solo but he will tour with Thile again in November. Here's Brad Mehldau with Larry Grenadier and Jeff Ballard performing Holland at the 2008 Berghausen Jazz Festival in Germany.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Harvey Mason

Artist:Harvey Mason
Song:Chameleon
Album:Chameleon





Drummer Harvey Mason is a legendary session musician and sideman who has played with just about everyone. He occasionally records as a leader. This 2014 album is a tribute to Mason's 70s stint with Herbie Hancock and The Headhunters. He was born Feb. 22, 1947 in Atlantic City, NJ. He attended Berklee and he graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music. After stints with Eroll Garner and George Shearing, Mason moved to Los Angeles and became a session musician. Most notably he was in Herbie Hancock's Headhunters and he co-wrote and played on the original recording of Chameleon. He played on recordings by Donald Byrd, George Benson (Breezin'), Grover Washington Jr. (Mister Magic), Bob James and The Brothers Johnson. In 1975, Mason signed with Arista Records and had success on the dance charts for the next few years. When that ended in 1981, he returned to session work. And he still does that today. The 2014 album Chameleon on Concord Jazz is a tribute to his 70s stint with The Headhunters. Mason wrote Chameleon with fellow Headhunters Bennie Maupin, Herbie Hancock and Paul Jackson. The arrangement was written by Ben Wendel of Kneebody. The guest star on Chameleon is Headhunters percussionist Bill Summers. Other musicians are Kamasi Washington on tenor sax, pianist Mark de Clive-Lowe who arranged most of the album, John Beasley on piano, Matthew Stevens on guitar and Jimmy Haslip on bass. Mason did tour with this band. Mason is also a member of Fourplay and he continues to record and tour with them. And of course he continues as a studio musician. Here's Harvey Mason performing Chameleon in the recording studio. This video was produced by Vic Firth drumsticks to promote a contest they were running in 2015.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Terrence Mann

Artist:Terrence Mann
Song:The Rum Tum Tugger
Album:Cats: Complete Original Broadway Cast Recording



One of the interesting things about the 1982 Broadway show Cats is that Geffen Records tried to sell the original cast album like a pop record. And that included doing a music video. The music video was for The Rum Tum Tugger starring Terrence Mann. He is identified only in the end credits of the video. Cats was Mann's first big show and he's been on Broadway ever since. He was born July 1, 1951 in Ashland, KY. His mom was a concert pianist. He grew up in Largo, FL and attended the North Carolina School of the Arts. Mann's first Broadway show was Barnum in 1980 and then he was hired for Cats. He met his wife Charlotte d'Amboise while doing Cats. Normally Broadway musical cast albums are sold as an adjunct of the show. Geffen Records tried to go beyond that and did a music video for The Rum Tum Tugger. It worked because it got played on MTV. Of course Mann plays Rum Tum Tugger and that's him without makeup playing the janitor at the beginning of the video. None of the actors are named. So though the video didn't make Mann famous, he's been in plenty of musicals including Les Miserables (Tony nominated), The Beast in Beauty and the Beast, The Addams Family and most recently Tuck Everlasting which had a short run last year. Probably his best known film role was as Ug in the Critters movies. He is a regular on the Netflix series Sense8 which was recently cancelled and will end in 2018. Also he's a professor at Western Carolina University. Here's the video of The Rum Tum Tugger by Terrence Mann.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Johnny Cash

Artist:Johnny Cash
Song:A Boy Named Sue
Album:Johnny Cash at San Quentin





For everything that Johnny Cash recorded over the years, I bet most would be surprised that A Boy Named Sue was his only top five pop hit. Cash performed the song on Johnny Cash in San Quentin. I'm sure no one was more surprised than Cash that the song was a hit. The big thing about it is that it led to his TV variety show. The Johnny Cash Show has held up very well over the years. Cash had performed in prisons for years and he wanted to record a live album in a prison for a long time. When Columbia assigned Bob Dylan's producer Bob Johnston to Cash, he gave the green light to record in Folsom Prison. The album was so successful they decided to do a sequel at San Quentin. It was recorded Feb. 24, 1969 and filmed by British TV network Granada TV. This is available on DVD. Not surprisingly, the album was a hit. But the big surprise was when A Boy Named Sue became a hit single. It topped the country charts and reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. A Boy Named Sue was written by humorist Shel Silverstein, probably best known for the Doctor Hook hit Sylvia's Mother. Silverstein said A Boy Named Sue was a tribute to legendary humorist Jean Shepherd (A Christmas Story). I guess Jean is perceived as a girl's name. Silverstein gave the song to Cash at a Guitar Pull where they pass a guitar around and perform songs. His wife June Carter encouraged Cash to perform the song. San Quentin was the first performance of A Boy Named Sue. Cash didn't even know the words. You can see him in the video looking at a piece of paper on the music stand. The success of A Boy Named Sue led to ABC offering Cash his own TV show. The Johnny Cash Show was very successful. Johnny Cash at San Quentin is available as a budget CD. Here's Johnny Cash performing A Boy Named Sue in San Quentin Feb. 24, 1969. This video is not on Youtube.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa and Imagine Dragons

Artist:Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa and Imagine Dragons with Logic, Ty Dolla sign featuring X Ambassadors
Song:Sucker For Pain
Album:Suicide Squad: The Album



These days movie producers are looking for a hit soundtrack to go with the movie. This is especially true of a comic book movie like Suicide Squad. What they normally try to do is compile an all star cast for the soundtrack. Steven Price composed the score and you can get that on a separate CD. Atlantic Records had their A&R department compile Suicide Squad: The Album. You'll notice they don't call it a soundtrack. That's because some of the songs on the album aren't in the movie. And some of the songs that are in the movie aren't on the soundtrack album. There is mostly new songs on the album. An album like this has a built in fanbase. But Atlantic and everyone else involved wants to have a hit single. Sucker For Pain was the second single from the album. It reached #15 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album topped the Billboard Hot 200 and it was certified Platinum. Mission accomplished. From what I could tell, Sucker For Pain was written by Imagine Dragons and producer Alexander "Alex Da Kid" Grant. They worked together before. At the time Imagine Dragons were taking a break but I guess they couldn't resist a big movie. Lil Wayne is the main rapper on this song so I do recommend it to his fans. And maybe to Wiz Khalifa fans. The other artists contribute very little. Were they necessary? Does it matter? As for the credits, recently I was reading an article on The Guardian about the negotiations that determine credits. It's a little too screwy for me. It can get very complicated. Among others who appear on this CD are Skillrex, Rick Ross, Action Bronson, Eminem and Panic! At the Disco. It's not my cup of tea but obviously plenty of folks bought this CD. Here's the video for Sucker For Pain by Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa and Imagine Dragons with Logic, Ty Dolla Sign featuring X Ambassadors.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Adam Pascal

Artist:Adam Pascal
Song:One Song Glory
Album:The Best Of Rent: Highlights From The Original Cast Album




Though Adam Pascal is a veteran Broadway performer, he is best known for his very first show and that was Rent in 1996. He appeared on Broadway and London, the film version of Rent and the touring cast. He was born Feb. 25, 1970 in The Bronx, NY and he grew up in Woodbury in Long Island. Pascal wanted to be a rock singer and he was in several bands. He's a big Queensryche fan and he does a tribute to them in concert. It was suggested that he should audition for Rent and he won the role of HIV positive musician Roger Davis. One Song Glory is Pascal's big number early in the show and he still performs it in his concerts. Rent was very successful. Pascal went on to appear in the London production, the national touring production and the film. This highlights CD from the Broadway show is available as a budget CD. Pascal has appeared in other Broadway shows like Aida in 2000 as Radames, as The Emcee in the 2003 revival of Cabaret and as Huey Calhoun in the 2011 show Memphis. Most recently he appeared as William Shakespeare in the musical Something Rotten! which was on Broadway but is currently on a national tour. He has been less successful in films and as a recording artist though he has been successful doing concert tours. I think that no matter what he does Adam Pascal will always be known for Rent. Here's Adam Pascal performing One Song Glory at the Huntington Theater in Boston Sept. 2008.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Gato Barbieri

Artist:Gato Barbieri
Song:I Want You
Album:20th Century Masters: the Millennium Collection: The Best Of Gato Barbieri




Argentinian sax player Leandro "Gato" Barbieri was an avant garde musician in the 60s. But in the 70s he made a sharp turn to become one of the pioneers of smooth jazz. Of course he didn't know that at the time. But I think A&M Records owner Herb Alpert did. He was born Nov. 28, 1932 in Rosario, Argentina. Charlie Parker was Barbieri's major influence. In the 50s he was in Lalo Shifrin's band. And in the 60s he moved to Italy with his wife (she was Italian) and started playing with guys like Don Cherry. Many fans here would have first heard of Barbieri when he signed with Impulse Records in 1969. And when producer Bob Thiele started Flying Dutchman Records, Barbieri recorded several early 70s albums. The turning point in Barbieri's career was when he composed the score for the 1972 film Last Tango In Paris. That won him a Grammy. That was a huge success. And after a few more albums for Impulse, Herb Alpert signed him to A&M and he produced the 1976 album Caliente!. It was Barbieri's first album for A&M. This was more commercial than anything Barbieri had previously recorded. His cover of the Marvin Gaye classic I Want You was an R&B hit. The strings and horns were arranged and conducted by Jay Chattaway. Musicians were David Taylor, Paul Faulise and Wayne Andre on trombone, Bernie Glow, Marvin Stamm and Randy Brecker on trumpet, Eddy Martinez and Don Grolnick on keyboards, David Spinozza, Eric Gale and Joe Beck on guitar, Gary King on bass, Lenny White on drums and Ralph McDonald on percussion. Carlos Santana guested on one track. Barbieri recorded four successful albums for A&M. This budget comp covers those years. Barbieri recorded for Columbia in the 80s. But he retired after his wife died in 1983. He returned in the late 90s and continued to record and tour until his death on Apr. 2, 2016 at age 83. Here's Gato Barbieri with Frank Ferrucci on piano, Bill Washer on guitar, Chico Rindner on bass, Jean-Francois Fabiano on drums and Guihlerme Franco on percussion performing I Want You at the 1984 Montreal Jazz Festival from the DVD Live In Montreal. I think this is out of print.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Kairi Sane vs Shayna Baszler

Here's the match video of Kairi Sane vs Shayna Baszler. This was the final of the Mae Young Classic. This was broadcast live from the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas on the WWE Network. From the tournament matches that were taped in July, it looked like the WWE was planning a Four Horsewomen angle probably for The Survivor Series. But it seems that from July to this week, the WWE decided against doing it probably because Ronda Rousey wouldn't agree to do it. There's not much point in doing it without her. The assumption that the WWE was doing that angle led a lot of folks to believe that Shayna would win this match. I disagreed. I didn't think she needed to win to do that angle. Now it seems the plan all along was for Kairi to win the tournament. Shayna got to the final because of the possibility of a Four Horsewomen angle. Her comments before the match played her up as a heel against cute little Kairi. But Kairi turned out to be much tougher than most folks expected. BTW, Kairi wore all new ring gear. Shayna dominated the first part of the match. She worked on Kairi's arm and a kick to the head sent Kairi to the floor. The worm turned after Kairi hit a spear that seemed to hurt Shayna's ribs. I don't think it was a real injury but it helped sell the drama. So when Shayna applied the rear naked choke that beat her other tournament opponents, Kairi elbowed her in the ribs to escape. And you all know that when a wrestler kicks out of her opponent's finisher, that wrestler, in this case Kairi, will win. And of course Kairi won with her flying elbow drop. The match was pretty good. I think it was hurt by time constraints. Kairi gave another great performance playing up the drama mostly using facial expressions. She reminded me a lot of 70s AJW legend Mimi Hagiwara who also was an actor who got into pro wrestling. Hikaru Shida and Yumi Ohka are also actors turned wrestlers. In STARDOM, Kairi was always going to play second fiddle to Io Shirai who taught her a lot of moves including the diving elbow drop. Her ring skills and her dramatic ability stands out in the WWE. I'm sure HHH was very pleased with Kairi's performance. Like Asuka, Kairi knows how to get herself and her opponent over. Neither of them need to be scripted. That is a very valuable attribute. HHH announced that Kairi will be in an NXT Women's Championship match in November in Houston. At last night's NXT tapings, it was announced that it would be a five way match. They are having qualifying matches to determine the participants. One other thing. Canadian Olympic Gold Medalist in Wrestling Erica Wiebe was in attendance. The WWE has been after her for two years. I expect her to be signed very soon. I can't wait to see her. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tone-Loc

Artist:Tone-Loc
Song:Wild Thing
Album:Loc-ed After Dark





Tone-Loc was a very early rap success. He scored two top five pop hits. And Loc-ed After Dark was only the second rap album to top the Billboard Hot 200. But like a lot of rappers, he didn't last. He was born Anthony Terrell Smith Mar. 3, 1966 in Los Angeles. I guess at the time there was some novelty for a rapper with a gravelly voice. Apparently he was a gang member when Delicious Vinyl signed him to a record deal. Wild Thing was the first single from Tone-Loc's debut album Loc-ed After Dark. It reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the second single Funky Cold Medina reached #3. The album was certified 2XPlatinum and it was Delicious Vinyl's first success. Most of the album was produced by Delicious Vinyl owners Matt Dike and Michael Ross. You might think that Wild Thing was based on The Troggs classic. It isn't. Of course the title is a sexual reference. Wild Thing is based on the Van Halen song Jamie's Cryin'. But there was no songwriting credit. Van Halen's management accepted a $5K settlement without consulting the band. Van Halen sued and settled for $180K out of court. Alex Van Halen said they should have got a lot more because the record made millions. Loc-ed After Dark is available as a budget CD. When his 1991 album Cool Hand Loc didn't sell that well, that was it for Tone-Loc. He became an actor and that's what he does today. Not surprisingly, he seems to do a lot of voice work. He still tours but at this point he's a nostalgia act. Here's the video for Wild Thing by Tone-Loc.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Les Colocs

Artist:Les Colocs
Song:La Rue Principale
Album:Les Annees 1992-1995





Les Colocs were very popular in Quebec in the early 90s. Like most Quebecois acts, they were unknown elsewhere. The band ended when group leader Dede Fortin committed suicide in 2000. He was born Nov. 17, 1962 in Saint-Thomas-Didyme, QC. He studied film at Universite de Montreal. He formed Les Colocs in 1990 with Patrick Esposito Di Napoli on harmonica, Mike Sawatzky on guitar, Serge Robert on bass and Jimmy Bourgoing on drums. Their music is folk rock. Fortin's songs address political and cultural issues in Quebec. Fortin wrote a lot of songs about Quebec Sovereignity. Les Colocs signed with BMG Canada. La Rue Principale is from their 1993 debut album Les Colocs. This is probably their most popular album. They suffered a big blow when Di Napoli died of AIDS on Nov. 13, 1994. It doesn't look like they were the same after that. They continued to record and tour Quebec. But Fortin struggled with depression and he committed suicide on May 8, 2000. That ended Les Colocs and BMG released this budget comp in 2001. Here's the video for La Rue Principale by Les Colocs. I know the video looks low quality. It's supposed to look that way.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Hunna

Artist:The Hunna
Song:You & Me
Album:100





Here's a band to watch. The Hunna released their debut CD in 2016 and they got very positive buzz for their live shows. The Hunna are from Hertfordshire, England. They were formed in 2015. Lead singer Ryan Potter and lead guitarist Dan Dorney met in college. Dorney was already friends with bassist Jermaine Angin. Drummer Jack Metcalfe was added and The Hunna was born. Apparently Hunna is a slang word they use to each other. They signed with High Time Records and they released a couple of singles. Performances at Reading Festival, Leeds Festival and Dot-To-Dot Festival got them a US record deal with the Atlantic label 300 Entertainment. Their debut CD 100 was released Aug. 2016. It was produced by Lana Del Rey producer Tim Larcombe. The album did well and You & Me got some airplay on Alternative Radio. The Hunna have been on tour ever since. They toured with Jimmy Eat World and they were on Live Nation's Advanced Placement tour. The Hunna have been compared favourably to Kings of Leon and Foals. They are worth checking out. Here's the video for You & Me by The Hunna.

Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs Rose Namajunas added to Nov. 4 UFC show

via @ProCast: @joannamma will fight at UFC 217 to tie @RondaRousey​'s record for title defenses! But who will she face? pic.twitter.com/529tokkW1V

— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) September 12, 2017

On a Fox Sports Procast that you can watch here, UFC Strawweight Champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk announced that she will defend her title against Rose Namajunas at UFC 217 Nov. 4 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. That means there are three title fights on this show. We've known for a while that this match would happen. Only the location and date were in question. And that turned out to be more complicated than you might think. Joanna really wants to fight at MSG just like last year. But how is her PPV points payoff affected by three title matches on the show? Could that cost Joanna a lot of money? The alternative would be to have this fight headline UFC Fight Night 118 Oct. 21 in Gdansk, Poland. Joanna gets to fight in front of her family. So I'm sure she was very conflicted. But when the UFC announced a few days ago that Donald Cerrone vs Darren Till would main event UFC Fight Night 118, that meant Joanna made the decision to fight at MSG. Everyone knows what Joanna will try to do. She may be the best striker in the UFC and she has great takedown defense. And she has tremendous endurance to go five rounds. And I think she has improved since moving to American Top Team and Perfecting Athletes. Rose looked great in her last fight with a submission win over Michelle Waterson. She should be the underdog in this fight. In the past, Rose has been inconsistent and I doubt that she can break Joanna's defense. She might be able to take Joanna down early in the fight. But we saw Claudia Gadelha run out of gas after winning round one and I don't know how Rose prevents that. She's never gone five rounds and Joanna is built for the long haul. That could be the difference in this fight.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jean Carne

Artist:Jean Carne
Song:Closer Than Close
Album:Closer Than Close: The Best Of Jean Carne




Jean Carn started out as a jazz singer in the 70s usually working with her sax player husband Doug Carn. After they split, she turned to R&B and had success with Philadelphia International. She also worked with Norman Connors and sang his 1975 hit Valentine Love with Michael Henderson. Jean recorded four albums for Philadelphia International and she had modest success on the R&B charts with songs like Don't Let It Go To Your Head. She also scored with the 1980 duet with Al Johnson I'm Back For More. Then she moved to Motown for the 1982 album Trust Me. As with her final album on PI, Trust Me was produced by Norman Connors. When the album didn't do well, Jean added an "e" to her name on the advice of a numerologist. Then she signed with Atlantic's Omni label and released the 1986 album Closer Than Close. The title song was Jean's only number one R&B hit. Most of the album was produced by sax player Grover Washington Jr. The only other act Washington had produced was the jazz group Pieces Of A Dream. Closer Than Close was written by Fat Larry's Band singers Brandi Wells and Terry Price. Jean recorded two albums for Omni. She's still around but she hasn't recorded much in recent years. This comp from The Right Stuff has all her hits. Here's a video for Closer Than Close by Jean Carne.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Quiet Riot

Artist:Quiet Riot
Song:Cum On Feel The Noize
Album:Playlist: The Very Best Of Quiet Riot





Quiet Riot's Cum On Feel The Noize topped the charts in 1983. It was their only big hit. They were formed in Los Angeles in 1973 as Mach 1 by guitarist Randy Rhoads and bassist Kelly Garni. It was changed to Quiet Riot in 1975. The other other original members were lead singer Kevin DuBrow and drummer Drew Forsyth. They got a deal with Columbia in 1977 but their first two albums were only released in Japan. There was bickering between DuBrow and Garni. Garni was replaced by Rudy Sarzo in 1978. Then Rhoads left for Ozzy Osbourne's band in 1979. Sarzo went with him. Not surprisingly, Quiet Riot split up in 1980. DuBrow formed a new band called DuBrow in 1980. After Rhoads 1982 death in a plane crash, Sarzo rejoined DuBrow along with guitarist Carlos Cavazo and drummer Frankie Banali. They decided to use the name Quiet Riot and producer Spencer Proffer signed them to Columbia. Mental Health was released Mar. 1983. Cum On Feel The Noize reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. Though DuBrow wrote most of Quiet Riot's songs, Cum On Feel The Noize was written and originally recorded by the British band Slade. It topped the British charts in 1973. Slade was never that popular in North America but they were influential. Quiet Riot's version is a straight cover of the original. I don't think many North American fans were familiar with the original. The album Mental Health was certified 6XPlatinum. After that, Quiet Riot went into a steady decline hastened by DuBrow's claims that Quiet Riot were The Beatles of heavy metal. DuBrow was fired in 1987. Mental Health is available on CD but I suggest this budget comp. Quiet Riot continued and DuBrow returned in 1993 and remained until his 2007 death. Today Frankie Banali leads a version of Quiet Riot. Here's the video for Cum On Feel The Noize by Quiet Riot.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Sarah Moras vs Ashlee Evans-Smith

Here's the match video of Sarah Moras vs Ashlee Evans-Smith from last night's UFC show in Edmonton. Sarah is from Kelowna, BC. She was on TUF 18. The last time we saw her was in 2015. She's had some injuries along with money problems. She was forced to return to her job at Canada Post and she ran a Go Fund Me to pay for her training camp. I've always liked her going back to her Invicta days. She needs a win. Ashlee is a collegiate wrestler from California. She just hasn't been impressive in the UFC. Ashlee takes Sarah down and gets side control. But Sarah is able to get back to full guard. And then she starts working on an armbar from the bottom. She gets too close to the fence. But her trainer David Lea tells her to use her legs to push away from the fence. Once she does that, she turns Ashlee over and secures the armbar. It's all over. That's a big win for Sarah Moras. I was hoping she would get a bonus because she could use the money. She said afterwards that she would like to fight in Winnipeg in December. Get on it, Sean Shelby. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Ketlen Vieira vs Sara McMann

Here's the match video of Ketlen Vieira vs Sara McMann from last night's UFC show in Edmonton. I guess at this point Sara is the gatekeeper of the Bantamweight division. Obviously she would like to get back in the title picture. Recently she moved to Sacramento to train at Team Alpha Male. Of course she's a strong wrestler but I have never liked her as an MMA fighter. She's not aggressive enough for me. Ketlen trains at Nova Uniao in Brazil. She won her first two UFC fights but I was not impressed with her. Sara is a big step up in competition. Sara won round one 10-9. She took Ketlen down and landed some ground and pound. But she had to be careful because like most Nova Uniao fighters, Ketlen has a strong submission game from her back. In round two, Ketlen wound up on top. It looked like she might just lay on top of Sara. Instead she went for an arm triangle choke. It looked at first like Ketlen was in the wrong position to make it work. But she adjusted and Sara tapped out. That's what you call an upset folks. We'll see if Ketlen will follow that up in her next fight. And I guess Sara is not getting back in the title picture. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Amanda Nunes vs Valentina Shevchenko

Here's the match video of Amanda Nunes vs Valentina Shevchenko from last night's UFC show in Edmonton. So we all know this fight was supposed to happen in July and Amanda pulled out the day of the fight due to sinusitis. And in their previous fight, Amanda won by unanimous decision but she ran out of gas in round three. I have covered Amanda's entire career going back to when she was still in Brazil and she's always been a finisher who lacks endurance. I expected her to come out and try to end the fight early. Instead we got five rounds of light sparring. Amanda said afterwards that she wanted to go five rounds to prove that she could do it. WTF????? Where did this idea come from? I noticed that American Top Team (ATT) coaches Mike Brown and Din Thomas were not in Amanda's corner but ATT owner Conan Silveira was. My guess is this nonsense was his idea and Brown and Thomas didn't agree with it. Are these people that thin skinned to respond to criticism with something like that? It's also very risky because you don't leave things to the judges. They could go the other way. Fortunately for Amanda, Valentina did less than her and that's why Amanda won by split decision. I guess the tipping point was when at the end of round five, Valentina attempted the dreaded headlock takedown and gave up her back. That made me laugh. It was a draw up to that point. I gave Amanda round five and I scored it in her favour 48-47. I would have had no problem with Shevchenko winning because it would have served Amanda and Silveira right for pulling this crap in the first place. Of course Valentina thought she won. She just didn't do enough. All she had to do is be more aggressive and Amanda would have had to change her strategy. But she didn't. So Silveira is mostly to blame but so are the fighters. Dumb, dumb, dumb. So there you have it. It was a terrible fight. Check it out for yourself.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Prince

Artist:Prince
Song:When Doves Cry
Album:The Hits 1





Prince Rogers Nelson probably did more to revolutionize R&B music in the 80s. He toured with a band. But in the studio he seemed to like to do everything himself. Prince was already doing well when the 1984 film and soundtrack Purple Rain blew up. When Doves Cry was his very first number one pop hit. He was born June 7, 1958 in Minneapolis. His father was a jazz pianist and his mother was a singer. He started writing songs as a child. His parents separated when he was ten and he went back and forth living with both of them. In high school he was friends with Jimmy Jam and Andre Cymone. He recorded with the band 94 East. At age 17, he recorded demos and a manager and signed with Warner Bros. Prince's first big hit I Wanna Be Your Lover was from his 1979 album Prince. The album was certified Platinum. His next album to do well was the 1982 album 1999 with the top ten hits Little Red Corvette and Delirious. At this point, Prince wanted to be a movie star though he had no acting experience. But Warner Bros. liked the idea. Purple Rain was written and directed by Albert Magnoli. The original script was written by William Blinn but Magnoli rewrote it. Not only was it Prince's film debut but also Magnoli's directing debut. It would turn out to be his only hit film. Of course Prince wrote and performed all the music for Purple Rain. Prince wrote When Doves Cry for a scene in the film. Though he used his band The Revolution on most of the soundtrack, he played all of the instruments on When Doves Cry. The film and soundtrack were a huge success. When Doves Cry was Prince's first number one pop hit followed by Let's Go Crazy which also topped the charts. The soundtrack is available on CD but you can also get When Doves Cry on this comp. Obviously Warners was keen to have Prince make another film. But the 1986 film Under The Cherry Moon bombed. Famed music video director Mary Lambert was supposed to direct. But due to creative differences, Prince directed the film himself. That probably wasn't a good idea but Prince was a control freak. After the film bombed, Prince concentrated more on music until his death on Apr. 21, 2016 at age 57. Here's the video for When Doves Cry by Prince.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Kairi Sane vs Toni Storm

Here's the match video of Kairi Sane vs Toni Storm from the semi finals of the Mae Young Classic. These two are very familiar with each other as Toni has worked for STARDOM for the last two years. She's in Japan now. So when this match gets off to a slow start, Lita babbles about how they have never touched each other. She doesn't know what she is talking about. They have wrestled each other a few times. The slow start is because big matches get a lot of time in Japan and the wrestlers usually have a slow build for the first few minutes. So when things pick up, it has a real impact. And that's one of the things that makes this match so great. One thing I really liked was Toni working on Kairi's right arm because that's the arm she uses for the elbow drop. Both of them did really great things in this match. As you may have heard, Kairi suffered a concussion during this match. It happened when Kairi hit a dive from the top rope to the floor and she hit the metal ramp face first. I thought Toni caught her fine I think her landing was miscalculated. Toni probably should have been a little closer to the ring. After the ref checked on her, Kairi got up and continued. For a while, it certainly looked like Toni was going to win. But when Kairi kicked out of Toni's Strong Zero finisher, it meant that Kairi will win. Then Kairi kicks out of Toni's top rope leg drop. After that, Kairi hits a spinning backfist followed by the flying elbow drop for the win. So now Kairi will face Shayna Baszler in the tournament final on Tuesday 10PM on the WWE Network. Shayna is obviously the heel and Kairi is the plucky undersized underdog. I like that they had Toni work on Kairi's arm because I expect Shayna to pick up on that. Who will win? It depends what the WWE wants to do. Shayna doesn't need to win to be involved with the Four Horsewomen angle. And she should be able to keep her heat regardless. Kairi has been the undersized underdog throughout the tournament. They may want to continue that. We'll see what happens. I understand Kairi will have a new robe on Tuesday. And they should start calling her The Pirate Princess. So be sure to watch this Tuesday. Enjoy the video!
Kairi Sane vs. Toni Storm by therackattackvideos

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Kairi Sane vs Dakota Kai

Here's the match video of Kairi Sane vs Dakota Kai from the quarter finals of the Mae Young Classic. Dakota is 29 years old from New Zealand. She wrestled as Evie until signing with the WWE. She beat Rhea Ripley in round two though I like Rhea better than her. I understand what the WWE likes about her. she has that girl next door look. She's an OK wrestler but I don't think she's great. Apparently the story here is Dakota's right knee is bothering her. This is mentioned several times on commentary which leads me to believe it's a phony injury. The match is OK but not as good as Kairi's other tournament matches. The end of the match comes when Kairi's attempt at a superplex isn't going to work because her legs are outside the ropes. Obviously this was done deliberately so Kairi could be in the tree of woe to set up Dakota's phony baloney double foot stomp finisher. But Kairi lets go of the ropes and Dakota misses and tweaks her knee. Of course this leads to Kairi's flying elbow drop and the finish. I hope this means the WWE will trash Dakota's finisher and find something else for her to use. Kairi moves on to the semi finals. I'll get to that in a minute. Enjoy the video!
Kairi Sane vs. Dakota Kai by therackattackvideos

AccuRadio Song Of the Day-Rock Plaza Central

Artist:Rock Plaza Central
Song:I Am An Excellent Steel Horse
Album:Are We Not Horses?




Novelist Chris Eaton began performing music in the late 90s. Then he turned it into the band Rock Plaza Central performing in Toronto clubs. The 2006 CD Are We Not Horses? generated enough buzz to get them a deal with Yep Roc. The band is currently on hiatus but a return is possible. Eaton was born in Moncton, NB in 1971. He moved to Toronto and he started performing as Rock Plaza Central in 1997. He released the album Quantum Butterass backed by the band People From Earth. For the next few years, Eaton would come to gigs and ask musicians in the audience to join him on stage. In 2003, he turned Rock Plaza Central into a real band with Don Murray, Blake Howard, John Whytock, Scott Maynard and Rob Carson. They released the mostly improvised 2003 CD The World Was Hell To Us and continued to perform in local clubs. Apparently they never rehearsed as Eaton wanted to keep the music fresh. Meanwhile Eaton published his first novel The Inactivist in 2003. The band added violinist Fiona Stewart and had a residency at the Tranzac Club. The 2006 CD Are We Not Horses? is a science fiction concept album about six legged robotic horses. When the album got international critical acclaim, Eaton signed a Canadian distribution deal with Outside Music and in the US with Yep Roc. The band toured and released the 2009 CD ...At The Moment Of Our Most Needing. But with Eaton's writing starting to gain momentum and some of the other members have other gigs, Rock Plaza Central was never meant to be a long term band. They went on hiatus in 2010. Eaton published his third novel Chris Eaton, A Biography in 2013. Rock Plaza Central reunited last month a the Toronto club The Dakota as part of Summerworks 2017. Apparently this was a one off gig but anything is possible in the music business. Here's the video for I Am An Excellent Steel Horse by Rock Plaza Central.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-IMA

Artist:IMA
Song:Baila
Album:Best Of 2002-12





Marie-Andree Bergeron is known in Quebec as IMA. She has had some success as a singer and actress. She is unknown outside Quebec which is not unusual. She was born May 11, 1978 in Chateauguay, QC but she grew up in Montreal. Her early interest was in theater. She appeared in a couple of films that were made in Montreal including The Bone Collector. She didn't like how acting was going so she decided to try music. She decided to call herself IMA because it was easy to pronounce. Her big break came when she appeared on a tribute album for the late racer Ayrton Senna. She also won a couple of new artist contests in Montreal. This got her a manager and he put her in touch with session bassist Dominique Messier who had worked with Celine Dion. He produced three singles including Baila which was a chart success in Quebec in 2002. It doesn't look like an album was released at the time. But you can get Baila on this budget comp. She did release the album Pardonne-moi Si Je T'aime in 2005 produced by Tino Izzo. Her 2007 album Smile sold well in Quebec. That success may have been because she starred in the Radio Canada TV series Casino. IMA continues to record. She released an album last year and she continues to perform live in Quebec. Here's the video for Baila by IMA.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Kairi Sane vs Bianca Belair

Here's the match video of Kairi Sane vs Bianca Belair from the Mae Young Classic. Finding full episodes is a problem but not individual matches. And I still plan to post Kairi's matches for joshi fans around the world who don't have the WWE Network. This match was in the second round. Bianca was a track star at the University of Tennessee. She seems to be picking up pro wrestling really well. So what the WWE wanted Kairi to do is make Bianca look really good and Kairi would still win the match. So Bianca got a lot of offense including her now famous hair whip. In the end, Kairi kicked out of a 450 splash, Bianca missed a charge into the corner and hit the ringpost. And the Kairi hit the sliding D followed by a spinning backfist and the top rope elbow drop. Mission accomplished. Kairi wins and Bianca looks like a star. Enjoy the video!
Kairi Sane vs. Bianca Belair by therackattackvideos